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Sundance Saloon is a project of the nonprofit
Sundance Association for Country-Western Dancing.
SUNDANCE NEWS
AIDS LifeCycle Night Sunday, April 6
Sundance Saloon
Sundance Saloon invites participants in the AIDS LifeCycle to come to Sundance Saloon on this night. Let your fellow Sundancers see who's riding, and use this opportunity to solicit more pledges. Let us know you're coming in advance: info@sundancesaloon.org.
The AIDS LifeCycle is a 7-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, June 1-7, 2025, to raise money and awareness in the fight against HIV/AIDS. After more than 30 years, this year's annual landmark ride will be the last one, after delivering a life-changing experience for tens of thousands of participants from all backgrounds united by a common desire to do something heroic.
April Birthday Dance Sunday, April 6
Sundance Saloon
On the first Sunday of each month, we celebrate the birthdays of everyone who has a birthday during that month. One dance is designated when we invite the birthday folks to the dance floor, and everyone gets a chance to take turns dancing with them. We also provide the cake!
If your birthday is in April, we'll see you on Sunday, April 6!
Line Dance 101 New series begins in April
Sundance Saloon
New to line dancing? Line-dance-challenged? This is for you! We have lessons starting with our most basic line dances this month starting April 6, and we spend the time it takes for everyone to learn them. Each week we introduce a new line dance for you, gradually increasing the level of difficulty over the next few months.
The same line dance is taught on Sunday and Thursday of any given week, giving you multiple chances to learn a dance. (Sundays allow a full 45 minutes for the lesson; Thursdays are truncated to 30 minutes.) Plus we have many other resources available to you, so you can practice at home. As always, our lessons are included in the price of admission.
Mark your calendars now! Sundance Saloon celebrates its 27th anniversary on Sunday, April 13. Join us for a very special party!
In 1998 we opened our doors as an experiment in the back room of the Pleasuredome club at 174 King Street, never imagining that Sundance Saloon would become a world-renowned institution in the LGBTQ+ community, still going strong over a quarter of a century later. Of course we'll take a moment to honor the hundreds of volunteers, donors, and other contributors over the years.
In addition to our regular program of lessons and open dancing, we'll have some special performances, a special cake, and most importantly, YOU – and all who helped build this special community. FREE ADMISSION!
Sundance In The Castro Saturday, April 19 • 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Noe Street near Market St, San Francisco
We're so excited to bring outdoor dancing back to the Castro! Jane Warner Plaza is no longer available for scheduled events, but we succeeded in securing the permits necessary for a street closure on Noe Street between Market and Beaver! And unlike at our Jane Warner Plaza experience, we are planning to put down a small dance floor!
We are planning a mix of partner dancing and line dancing, with a greater emphasis on line dancing than our usual format at Sundance Saloon, along with plenty of quick lessons for the passerby. The event will repeat on June 21, August 16, and October 18.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We need help with set-up and tear-down, and also street monitors to keep an eye on the traffic control barrricades (required by the City for our permit).
World Premiere Film Screening Saturday, April 26 • 7:00 pm
Brava Theater • 2781 24th St, S.F.
It's here! San Francisco Dance Film Festival proudly presents the world premiere of Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede, a documentary exploring community, resilience, and joy through the lens of queer country-western dancing at an iconic San Francisco gathering: the Sundance Stompede.
The screening will include a Q&A with director Graham Clayton-Chance, an opportunity to dance pre-show starting at 6:30 pm on the Brava Theater stage, and a post-show reception. General admission is $27 plus fees. VIP tickets ($77 plus fees) include preferential seating and a pre-show reception at 5:30 pm with sponsored bites and drinks. All tickets include free admission to Sundance Saloon on April 27.
Sundance Reno Round-Up Sundance's 4-day CW dance weekend at the WGRF
October 9–12, 2025 • Reno, NV
Sundance is going to host a full-fledged country-western dance weekend in conjunction with the World Gay Rodeo Finals in Reno, Nevada, October 9–12, 2025. We'll have four nights of dancing in up to two rooms, three days of dance workshops in up to three rooms, dance exhibition performances. and more! It's going to feel a lot like the Sundance Stompede without it actually being the Sundance Stompede. The weekend will also host the 30th annual convention of the IAGLCWDC.
Advance registration is open now! The host hotel is a complex of three adjacent casino resorts known as "The Row." Check out more details here, including a a more comprehensive list of our offerings, and biographies of our instructors.
Thursday Format Adjustment Line dancing after 10:00 pm
We are making a slight adjustment to our Thursday format, when we will now have all line dancing by request from 10:00 to our 10:30 pm closing. The remainder of the night will remain unchanged:
6:00 pm - Doors open
6:45 pm - Partner dance lessons (intermediate and beginning in 2 rooms)
7:30 pm - Line dance lessons (intermediate and beginning in 2 rooms)
8:00 pm - Open dancing (the usual mix of two-step, line dance, waltz, swing)
10:00 pm - All line dancing by request
10:30 pm - Close
Clogging at Sundance Saloon Thursdays • 6:30–8:30 pm [except April 10]
Sundance Saloon: Loft
The Barbary Coast Cloggers are bringing their clogging classes to Sundance Saloon every Thursday. Clogging lessons take place upstairs in the loft, while our regular programming of two-step and line dance lessons continues on the ground level.
The schedule is:
6:30-7:10 - Easy Level
7:10-7:50 - Intermediate Level
7:50-8:30 - Advanced Level
The classes are drop-in and there is no additional fee beyond the regular Sundance Saloon admission. Note that clogging lessons will not be held on April 10.
Line Dance Pro Sundays (except 1st Sun of month) • 5:00–6:30 pm
Sundance Saloon • Back Room
Can't get enough line dancing? Line Dance Pro is an opportunity to increase your line dance abilities and challenge yourself with new line dances not included in our regular Sundance Saloon repertoire.
Our Line Dance Pro sessions run every Sunday in the Back Room of Sundance Saloon (except the first Sunday of the month)! Includes lessons starting at 5:15 pm, except the last Sunday of the month which features a line dance marathon. Check the Sundance Saloon instruction calendar for the schedule.
Volunteers Needed
Please help us! Sundance Saloon is a community effort, dependent on lots of people chipping in a little bit. We are always looking for more help, and this has never been more true. If you have not volunteered in the past, this is a great time to think about stepping in. You can become an integral part of what makes Sundance so special.
Our needs at Sundance Saloon include set-up, front door, and coat-check. Shifts are generally one hour. No experience necessary.
Supporting Sundance
As an all-volunteer, member- and community-supported organization, the Sundance Association depends on your support to keep thriving. The pandemic put an extra burden on our finances, and our needs are never-ending. There are many ways to help us, and not all of them involve monetary contributions:
Become a member of the Sundance Association by pledging an annual tax-deductible donation.
Come on down! Support us just by showing up.
Introduce someone new to Sundance Saloon.
Use our coat-check on Sundays.
Put a dollar or two in one of our tip jars.
See if your company offers matching donations or grants for volunteer time served.
Social media! Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Instagram. Share our posts. Share your own posts. Review us on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Tripadvisor.
MONTHLY SCHEDULE
M = Main Ballroom • B = Back Room • L = Loft
MARCH 2025
Partner dance lessons: 5:30 pm Sunday & 6:45 pm Thursday. Line dance lessons: 6:30 pm Sunday & 7:30 pm Thursday.
Line dance titles and levels indicated in calendar.
